Sirius XM Radio has tapped James Meyer as its interim chief executive officer while the search for a permanent replacement for Mel Karmazin continues. Meyer, currently president of sales and operations, has been with the satellite radio broadcaster since 2004. He will also take Karmazin's spot on the Sirius XM board of directors. Karmazin, who announced his plans to resign earlier this fall, had said he would stay with Sirius XM until February. However, with the appointment of Meyer, Karmazin's resignation as CEO and board member takes effect immediately.

After the coffee. Before finding my winter coat. The Skinny: Friday's roundup includes the box-office preview and John Malone's latest financial maneuverings. Also, a look at DreamWorks, which hopes "Need for Speed" can be a hit. I'm out of town this weekend, so behave yourself and beware the Ides of March. Daily Dose: The regular season starts for the Dodgers a week from Saturday, with games against the Diamondbacks in Australia. While much of the country will be able to catch the action from down under, the majority of Angelenos will likely be shut out. Time Warner Cable, which is distributing the new Dodger channel, SportsNet LA, for the team, still has no deals with distributors other than itself.

Liberty Media informed the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday that it had acquired more than 48% of Sirius XM Radio's shares and intends to push that amount above 50% in order to take control over the New York satellite radio company. Liberty disclosed the plan several months after it failed to persuade the Federal Communications Commission to grant it control over Sirius based on its ownership of 40% of the company's shares. Sirius' chief executive, Mel Karmazin, rebuffed the takeover attempt at the time, saying Liberty's argument that its 40% stake was sufficient to gain control was akin to proclaiming "Forty is the new 50. " Liberty's chairman, John Malone, might have taken that barb to heart.

Joe bought a new car and received a few free months of Sirius XM, the satellite radio service. When that was done, Sirius asked if he wanted a six-month trial for $25. Joe said yes. ASK LAZ: Smart answers to consumer questions Then he lost track of time. After six months passed, Joe noticed that Sirius had dinged him for more than $100 to continue his subscription. He asks: Is that legal? It's not only legal, it's common. For more on what you should do -- and my thoughts on satellite radio -- check out today's Ask Laz video.

This post has been updated. See note below for details. Longtime “Breakfast With the Beatles” host Chris Carter will expand the musical scope of his weekly Sirius XM satellite radio presence with a new show, “Chris Carter's British Invasion,” drawing from a half century of British rock and pop beginning Sunday, April 7. The three-hour show will continue airing on Little Steven's Underground Garage Channel 21, created and produced by...

Sirius XM Radio Inc. Chief Executive Mel Karmazin will resign from the satellite radio broadcaster on Feb. 1. The move was not unexpected. Liberty Media, the largest shareholder in SiriusXM, is in the process of taking control of the company and Karmazin had previously indicated he would likely leave as a result. Karmazin's contract with SiriusXM expires at the end of this year. He said he is staying on an additional month to ensure a smooth transition. He will also resign from the SiriusXM board.

After the coffee. Before packing in case the Mayans are right. The Skinny: It's cold here! What's up with that? Wednesday's headlines include Time Warner Cable dropping the little arts channel Ovation and a review of "Zero Dark Thirty. " Also, satellite radio broadcaster Sirius XM names a new interim chief executive. Daily Dose: If you can't find a big TV to watch the Super Bowl, fear not. The NFL will again make the big game available. Also being streamed will be the wild card playoff games and the Pro Bowl.

The nation's only -- and ailing -- satellite radio company is drawing interest from two moguls of space-based entertainment. Sirius XM Radio Inc. said Friday that it might be forced to file for bankruptcy as early as Tuesday if it fails to restructure its debt. As the deadline nears, speculation is growing of a possible bidding war over the company, which was formed last summer by the merger of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio.

As an XM subscriber, I wish I shared David Lazarus' enthusiasm for the Sirius-XM merger. ("Listening to reason on radio merger," Consumer Confidential, March 26.) It seems awfully naive of him not to believe that prices will rise substantially over time in otherwise seemingly painless increments, just as they have with cable TV. As for a la carte pricing, my prediction is that the least-ordered channels will be jettisoned for lack of interest. Joel Engel Westlake Village If our Justice Department truly believes a Sirius-XM merger will be good for the customer, I'd like to have some of what they're smoking.

Reggie Jackson remembers hitting the home run, rounding the bases, looking up and seeing a shower of candy bars. It was April 1978, and the New York Yankees had welcomed fans to their home opener by handing out Reggie! bars, a chocolate, caramel and peanut confection named after the Yankees' slugger. How good was the Reggie! bar? Jackson's teammate, Catfish Hunter, famously remarked that when you take a bite out of one, it tells you how good it is. But when Jackson looked up and saw that torrent of chocolate rain, he wasn't sure that commendation was enough.

After the coffee. Before finding a new mantra. The Skinny: Thanks to the Time Warner Cable-CBS blackout, I'm now totally behind in "Under the Dome. " Did they get out yet? Do they have cable in the dome? I'm in the dark here! Tuesday's headlines include a new home for radio personality Eddie Sotelo and some new approaches to fighting piracy. Also, new cast members aren't the only thing new in "Kick-Ass 2. " Daily Dose: Every day Al Jazeera America announces new hires for its channel that launches next Tuesday.

Spanish-language radio star Eddie "Piolín" Sotelo is borrowing a page from Howard Stern. Three weeks after severing ties with Univision Radio, Sotelo has made a deal to bounce to SiriusXM satellite radio. This fall, Sotelo will launch a Spanish-language entertainment channel on the subscription service called Piolín Radio, which will be anchored by a live four-hour morning program that Sotelo will broadcast from Los Angeles. "I am honored SiriusXM believes in me," Sotelo, whose nickname means "Tweety Bird," said in a statement.

Satellite radio company Sirius XM Radio Inc. is launching a rebranded political talk channel for left-leaning audiences next week called "SiriusXM Progress. " The channel, formerly known as "SiriusXM Left," will debut Monday and feature an afternoon call-in show hosted by Michelangelo Signorile, an editor at large for Huffington Post Gay Voices. Media Matters senior fellow Ari Rabin-Havt will host a new morning show, and longtime civil rights activist Mark Thompson will continue his early evening show "Make It Plain.

This post has been updated. See note below for details. Longtime “Breakfast With the Beatles” host Chris Carter will expand the musical scope of his weekly Sirius XM satellite radio presence with a new show, “Chris Carter's British Invasion,” drawing from a half century of British rock and pop beginning Sunday, April 7. The three-hour show will continue airing on Little Steven's Underground Garage Channel 21, created and produced by...

The music in any Quentin Tarantino film is an adventure unto itself, a tradition that continues with “Django Unchained,” Tarantino's movie opening on Christmas Day. The soundtrack album was released a week ahead of the film itself, and Tarantino took time to walk listeners through the music in a Sirius XM satellite radio special, “Quentin Tarantino Unleashed,” that aired Dec. 14 on Little Steven's Underground Garage show, which Tarantino...

After the coffee. Before packing in case the Mayans are right. The Skinny: It's cold here! What's up with that? Wednesday's headlines include Time Warner Cable dropping the little arts channel Ovation and a review of "Zero Dark Thirty. " Also, satellite radio broadcaster Sirius XM names a new interim chief executive. Daily Dose: If you can't find a big TV to watch the Super Bowl, fear not. The NFL will again make the big game available. Also being streamed will be the wild card playoff games and the Pro Bowl.

The music in any Quentin Tarantino film is an adventure unto itself, a tradition that continues with “Django Unchained,” Tarantino's movie opening on Christmas Day. The soundtrack album was released a week ahead of the film itself, and Tarantino took time to walk listeners through the music in a Sirius XM satellite radio special, “Quentin Tarantino Unleashed,” that aired Dec. 14 on Little Steven's Underground Garage show, which Tarantino...

After all his threats to leave, and others' speculation on where he might go, Howard Stern is staying put at Sirius XM. The loose-lipped shock jock announced on his show Thursday that he has signed a new five-year contract with the satellite radio company. The deal, which runs through the end of 2015, provides that Sirius XM can now transmit Stern's show to mobile devices. No other terms will be disclosed, the company said. Stern had been locked for months in stormy negotiations as his original five-year contract with Sirius radio, worth a breathtaking $500 million, neared its expiration just days from now. Sirius and then-rival XM radio merged in 2008.

Sirius XM Radio has tapped James Meyer as its interim chief executive officer while the search for a permanent replacement for Mel Karmazin continues. Meyer, currently president of sales and operations, has been with the satellite radio broadcaster since 2004. He will also take Karmazin's spot on the Sirius XM board of directors. Karmazin, who announced his plans to resign earlier this fall, had said he would stay with Sirius XM until February. However, with the appointment of Meyer, Karmazin's resignation as CEO and board member takes effect immediately.

After the coffee. Before seeing if the Dodgers need a tweeter. The Skinny: There is a great article in today's Wall Street Journal about all the distractions people face every day at work. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with ADD. Wednesday's stories include a look at the Screen Actors Guild nominations, speculation about who will run satellite radio broadcaster Sirius XM and obituary of Ravi Shanker. Daily Dose: Fox Business Network still likes Don Imus in the morning.